Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Myth of Arrival


I amaze myself at how often I'm trying to get somewhere.  And, because I'm into measurables, the "process" has seemed to torture me.  But lately, I've been guided by a fresh revelation: We never really get there.   Despite the "ladders of success" and the "stepping stones" to the next level of performance or position, getting to that particular place is illusional at best.
Life fulfillment is being aware of the journey and content with this stage of it.  Who says you were meant for better or more pleasurable right now?  Conversely, why would you think that where you are now, as pleasant as it might be, is meant to be short-lived?  The best we can do with where we are is to quit surmising and commit this season to God by entrusting anything "next" to Him alone!  The brutal truth lies in what author Paul David Tripp wrote in his book Dangerous Calling: "When you think you've arrived, you congratulate yourself for things in yourself that only grace could produce." Let us live by the motion of the journey, not the myth of arrival!

What frustrations with this "journey" do you need to surrender to Christ today?

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Great word! I particularly love the revelation of the alluding "next step," and the emphasis on the process. Thanks brother Darren!

Darren S. Pilcher said...

Jason - Great hearing from you. Thanks for reading. Privileged to be a fellow-journeyer!

Owen Mannin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Owen Mannin said...

I enjoyed and learned a lot in seminary courses, such as: Strategic Driven Ministries, Vision and Strategic Planning, and other courses in leading healthy churches and church growth. What I’ve learned best, before and after seminary, was and ability to notice, see emptiness in people and discern situations Christ is needed in – such are the bumps along the way on my journey. The journey has its ups and downs – I never know what is “next” – nonetheless, as you wrote; we are to “commit this season to God by entrusting anything "next" to Him alone!” We need never forget the simplicity of our prayer, we are to ask, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,” and not ask for our “process to be successfully deployed; our vision be glorified, our strategy be blessed.” Great blog!
Blessings, Owen

Darren S. Pilcher said...

Thanks, Owen. Yes, I agree...it's all about His Kingdom. Appreciate you, my friend.